Anny Christian from Lower Sackville stands on the dock after completing a swim from the Woodside Ferry terminal in Dartmouth to Bishoph's Landing in Halifax in 2015. - File

Halifax is an aquatic city in a way few places are. The city boasts an ever-improving waterfront, close proximity to several ocean beaches and is surrounded by freshwater lakes.

The lakes around Halifax are home to rowing, canoe and kayak clubs that have produced several Olympians. The ocean off Halifax is well known in the surfing community. Yacht clubs and marinas dot the harbour. Swimming, however, costs almost nothing to do and needs minimal infrastructure.

To that end, Develop Nova Scotia will again be transforming the docks off Bishop’s Landing into a one-day pop-up swimming spot Aug. 15. The big jump will run between noon and 5 p.m. Develop NS will be closing the area to boat traffic, providing a lifeguard and performing water testing.

The result of the Jump In campaign started by Dal student Anika Riopel, the spot hosted its first swimming day last year. After spending millions to clean up the harbour, it’s a shame that this is a one-day event.

Other cities have built "floating pools" where an area of a body of water is surrounded by a deck and infrastructure for swimming is provided. The spot at Bishop’s is perfect, and the permanent creation of a swimming spot would be a great addition to the waterfront. If provided with extended hours, swimming under the lights could be a unique waterfront experience.

Swimmers chat in the middle of the harbour, during the Halifax Harbour swim in Halifax in 2018. - Tim Krochak

On summer days, with the heat extending into the evening and most people not having air conditioning, a dip in the water is a refreshing activity.

Unfortunately, sometimes those evening dips are the source of tragedy. Last week, a 15-year-old boy drowned at Kidston Lake in Spryfield. Last year, a 28-year-old man drowned in Chocolate Lake. Both lakes feature supervised beaches but not after 5 p.m., when the lifeguards go off duty. Both of those beaches are easily accessible to the surrounding communities.

With daylight to 9 p.m., extending lifeguard services at the city’s beaches a few hours would cost very little but provide a huge increase in service to residents.

In other harbour happenings:

The Atlantic Pilotage Authority is looking for a new home. Develop NS purchased the EC Tug wharfs several weeks ago, and the authority has released a tender for dock space. The likely departure of the pilot boats will bring an end to Halifax's commercial working waterfront.

The wharfs were home to Foundation Maritime, made famous through two Farley Mowat books, The Grey Seas Under and The Serpents Coil. Smit and Cory bought the Foundation Maritime business in 1971 and continued to operate from the wharfs until August 2010, when Svitzer moved its tugs to Port Hawkesbury in an agreement with Atlantic Towing.

PSA completed its acquisition of Halterm on Aug. 1. The facility is now owned by a company that operates terminals and that will be interested in investing and growing the business. With the pier expansion well underway, the future of Halterm is looking bright.

A crowd of family, friends and supporters welcomes HMCS Toronto back to Halifax after the vessel’s six-month overseas deployment. - STUART PEDDLE

HMCS Toronto returned home Sunday. The ship had spent the previous six months on Operation Reassurance in the Mediterranean, and was replaced by HMCS Halifax. HMCS Toronto is scheduled to replace HMCS Halifax in six months, though with a different crew. HMCS Ville De Quebec and HMCS Kingston Sailed north on operation Nanook.

Smit Salvage has a sheriff’s warrant against the Yantian Express registered in a Halifax court. The warrant is likely to secure cargo sitting at Fairview Cove in Halifax. Under maritime law, that cargo can be seized and sold to cover Smit's bill.